SRHS track & field has impressive season
By Hector Trujillo
The Scripps Ranch High School (SRHS) track and field team concludes a season full of standout performances as it enters CIF-San Diego Section Finals on May 21 and State Finals on May 27 and 28.
The team opened competition on March 5 at the Mt. Carmel Field & Distance Meet, taking part in several events including the varsity 1,600 meters where Ken Belt came out in fifth place in the mens final with a time of 4:27:32, and Samantha Nauman finished in eighth place among the women with a time of 5:22:80.
“Both boys and girls have done well this season,” head track and field coach Kadrina Coffee said. “They are right on schedule to hit their peak times.”
The following tournament was the Don Jones Bronco Invitational at Rancho Bernardo High School on March 12 where SRHS once again held its own thanks to Addy Richardson and Katie Ellermeyer coming in first and second place, respectively, in the womens frosh 1,600 meters, along with another stellar showing from Samantha Nauman who took third place in the womens 800 meter invite.
The team competed in a three-school tournament on March 17 at Mira Mesa High School, which saw the
women come out with nine first place finishes including winning the 4 x 400 meter relay courtesy of Chloe Ellermeyer, Jaiden Wick, Michaela Martin and Samantha Nauman. The men came out with five first place finishes of their own including the 4 x 400 relay with the team of Rory Long, Tyler Bay, McAelan Remigio and Shelon Hutchinson II; along with the 4 x100 meter relay with a team comprised of Nijah Richardson, Rory Long, Marley Randolph and Adam Tahlawi.
In total, SRHS would compete in 13 more tournaments, including the ones for junior varsity athletes on April 13 and 29, before taking part in the Western League Finals at University City High School on May 6. At that meet the womens varsity team came out with seven first place finishes including once again winning the 4 x 400 meter relay. Three of the first place finishes were courtesy of Aaliyah McCormick who won the 100 meter and 300 meter hurdles along with the 100 meter dash. Teammate Samantha Nauman won the 800 meters.
“I love the fact that we have more athletes interested in track and field,” Coffee said.
Coffee has been coaching at SRHS for six years and has had a prominent career in the sport which includes making the U.S. national team that competed in the 1995 Junior Pan American Championships in Chile where she took third in the 400 meters.
